Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Treasurer. How is the government building a stronger economy with responsible savings measures that chart a pathway back to surplus and why is it important that we build a fairer society by making sure families and businesses have access to vital services?

David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bass for his question. The budget handed down by the Treasurer last night set out a responsible plan to deliver a stronger economy by supporting jobs and supporting growth. But like all budgets, this budget involved a series of choices and since 2009 we have been making the choices to ensure that all of our new spending has been fully offset and in this budget we have set out $43 billion worth of savings measures. This budget outlines a 10-year plan to fund important investments to make our country a smarter and a fairer place, with investments in DisabilityCare Australia and investments in our plan for school improvement.

But another important choice that we have taken has been to ensure that everybody pays their fair share, and central to that is our package of corporate tax integrity measures, cracking down on loopholes where multinationals are able to shift their profits offshore and to avoid paying their fair share of tax here in Australia. We have done that because we do not think it is fair that those companies be able to avoid paying their fair share and shift the burden onto other businesses that are doing the right thing and shift the burden onto mums and dads and families and small businesses across this country. But shortly we will be able to hear from the opposition about what choices they are prepared to take and whether or not they are prepared to stand up and crack down on these loopholes. Every time we have brought forward integrity measures to close loopholes in the tax base, they have come into this place and they have opposed them, so if you do not crack down on the loopholes you have to jack up taxes on those that are already paying their fair share or you have got to start to cut to the bone. When it comes to cutting to the bone I think we know what we are in for. At this stage of the cycle it might well be Downton Abbey Tony that we all see; that is what we will see.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will refer to members by their appropriate title.

David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If they ever get the chance to get into government, we know exactly what we will see: what we have seen from Campbell Newman in Queensland. They will cut to the bone. They will cut pensions. They have already announced that. They will cut family payments. They will rip away the tax cuts that we have already delivered and that are in people's pockets and they will cut the Schoolkids Bonus. We believe in a fair system of taxation. We do not believe in allowing those that are ripping off the system to get away with it. We will take action and the Australian people will have a choice and that will be a choice between a government that has made responsible savings in order to invest in our nation and make it smarter and fairer, or going with an opposition that has no vision but a plan to cut to the bone.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to the 2015-16 and 2016-17 carbon price projections of $12.10 and $18.60 compared with the June 2016 forward price for European permits of A$5.57. How can the government carbon tax projections in the budget be believed over the next four years when the government's carbon tax projections over the last 10 months were overstated by 500 per cent? (Time expired)

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is part of a continuing campaign by those opposite to cast slurs on the Treasury, particularly to cast slurs on the Treasury because they have believed in a market price for carbon. The member knows only too well that the European carbon price has hit historic lows, and that is a fact and it has happened for a variety of reasons in Europe. Of course, that is now reflected in the floating price that has been projected by us when we come out of the fixed price period. But for him to somehow suggest that this is a slur on the forecasters, when in fact a market is operating like a market, just says so much about the modern Liberal Party. They do not understand markets either and it is no wonder they have got some form of direct action policy so that they are going to charge every Australian family $1,200, a new form of central planning and central intervention masquerading as policy from those opposite. So we do not apologise for a second for having a market based price and reducing carbon pollution in our society—and I said so in my speech last night. We will continue and proceed with our carbon-pricing regime because it is driving investment in alternative energy, particularly renewable energy, and it is giving us a clean energy future—and the contrast here with those opposite is quite stark.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker, on relevance. The question to the Treasurer was: how can the government's figures be believed when they were overstated by 500 per cent over the last 10 months?

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Flinders will resume his seat. The Treasurer has concluded his answer.

Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation. How does this budget protect jobs, promote growth and build both stronger and fairer workplaces and, Minister, what are the obstacles to this plan?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Deakin for his question. Last night's budget was about jobs. It was brought to you by a government that is committed to jobs, led by the Labor Party, who believe in creating and maintaining good jobs for people. There are a lot of positive choices which have been reflected in last night's budget. There is job-creating, productivity-building infrastructure, there is a hand-up for the unemployed, we make sure that there is a better education system to prepare our workforce of the future, we make sure that people with disability and carers finally get brought in from the cold and we are determined in this budget to help eradicate the scourge of asbestos and eradicate workplace bullying. That is the Labor way. That is the government way.

We choose smarter, stronger, fairer workplaces. But there is an obstacle to smarter, fairer workplaces and we all know what that one is: it is the Liberal plan to reintroduce unfair individual contracts. Last Thursday they let the cat out of the bag. They hoped to sneak it in just before the budget so no-one would notice it. At the centre of Liberal workplace relations nostalgia are unfair individual contracts. For instance, last Thursday they said, 'We are going to allow employees to trade off monetary conditions for non-money remuneration'—just like Work Choices. Yesterday the retailers were gleefully celebrating that they can knock off penalty rates—just like Work Choices. Today is another day and another employer group is breaking the discipline which the Liberals are desperate to keep on the employers not to let the cat out of the bag.

The Australian newspaper—and no doubt you will call them propagandists soon—reports an 'enthusiastic embrace' of Tony Abbott's proposed changes to extend hours and cut conditions. There you have it: the retailers, the hoteliers; you have got it in your own policy. It is just like the budget really—you get a choice to have a fair go all round at work or you can have a choice to cut people's working conditions to the bone.

We understand, and Australia understands, much as those opposite wish it was not so, that you cannot trust Liberals on workplace relations. Just ask the retailers. They know. Just ask the hoteliers. They know what you are on about. Just ask everyone who ever lost their job under Work Choices. In fact, you only have to read Battlelines to see that Tony Abbott says it might have been bad politics but it was very good economics. We did not trust you then and we do not trust you now.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer confirm that the budget reveals $3.1 billion in national partnerships and targeted program funding for schools will be cut but only $2.8 billion will be redirected to a new school funding model? How can the Treasurer claim that schools will be better off in the next four years when they are facing a $325 million cut?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Another question, another fiddle with the figures. There is $9.8 billion in this budget to implement the school improvement program, something that everyone on this side of the House is absolutely proud of. Of course, we know what is going to happen if we do not get this program implemented. What it is actually going to mean if the existing model that those opposite support stays in place and we do not get Gonski, the school improvement model—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, on a point of order: to be relevant he needs to address the issue of the next four-year cut, not the 10-year program.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Sturt will resume his seat. The member for Sturt is introducing argument. The Treasurer has the call.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, there is no cut. But I can tell you where the cut will be. In my home state of Queensland, if Gonski is not implemented, there will be a cut all right—about $2 billion to schools in Queensland under the Liberal Party policy, thereby proving the point that I made earlier. What the Liberals in this House are really on about is taking an axe to the social safety net and in particular to health and education because it is in their DNA. That is what they do. That is why we have had all this fiscal fearmongering today from them.

Today we have a statement from former Prime Minister Howard who says that our debt levels are low. Former Prime Minister Howard can acknowledge the fundamental economic fact in this country but not those Neanderthals on the other side who want to implement a form of austerity in this country which will take the axe to health and education and jobs.

Deborah O'Neill (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. How does this budget build a fairer society by investing in Australia's world-leading cancer treatment and research?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Robertson for that question. There is really not an Australian who has not been touched by cancer, who has not suffered it themselves, who has not seen a friend or a family member lost or undergo treatment that may be successful but is so harsh.

Budgets are about choices. They are about alternative visions for the future. So while we have made responsible savings in this budget, we have also made a choice to invest in world-class cancer care. Australia's cancer patients now have the best overall survival rate in the world and we have a plan to build on that success with better research, better prevention, better treatment, more cures and better support for patients and their families. World-leading cancer care will make investments in cancers including breast, cervical, prostate, lung and bowel cancers to ensure that we continue to set the international benchmark. I am not sure why someone finds this funny.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Solomon is warned!

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This new investment is on top of an unprecedented $3½ billion to combat cancer since 2007, like the brand new $39 million cancer centre at the Gosford Hospital which means that patients no longer have to drive to Sydney or Newcastle to get radiotherapy treatments for free. Women aged 69 to 74 will be invited to be part of our breast screening program. We estimate this will pick up an extra 600 cancers a year, and expanded investment in the McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurses will support around 15,000 women and their families over the next four years.

Improved bowel cancer screening over the next four years will see 5.4 million invitations to attend bowel cancer screening and around 1,370 critically ill patients will find it easier to get bone marrow transplants. Patients will have better access to more affordable chemotherapy drugs, helping 50,000 patients over just the next six months, noting that we have added 32 new cancer drugs to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme since 2007. There is new funding for CanTeen, the Australian organisation for young people living with cancer. There is four years more funding for the excellent prostate cancer research centres at Epworth in Melbourne and Princess Alexandra in Brisbane and new funding for the Kinghorn Cancer Centre in Sydney, because prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Australia and the second most common cause of cancer deaths. Lung cancer—the most common form of cancer death—receives $6 million, and there is $36.6 million for cervical cancer. Australians have the best overall cancer survival rates in the world. We want to keep it that way. We have chosen to invest. We have a plan for the future. (Time expired)

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. I remind the Treasurer that illegal arrivals by boat have increased from two people per month in 2007-08 to more than 2,000 per month this year. How can the Treasurer credibly assume in the budget that the number of arrivals will fall in 2013-14 by almost 40 per cent, compared with the current year, and that the cost of dealing with arrivals will fall by half over the forward estimates when there is no sign of a decline in illegal arrivals by boat under this government?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for that question, because we have fully accounted in the budget for all of the actual arrivals up to budget. We have also, in the budget, published the methodology for calculating the forecasts in the budget. We do these forecasts by taking advice from security agencies, impacts of future policies and the history of the issue. In the shorter term we take advice on intelligence and expected outcomes of government policy interventions and, of course, in the longer term we move to longer term averages.

I want to make this point: the government have been blocked every step of the way by those opposite when we have sought to put in place the full suite of policies that is required to stop the people smugglers. Those over there are the best friends people smugglers ever had because they have actively blocked the attempts that we have put in place!

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is clearly deeply offensive to describe members of the opposition as the best friends that people smugglers have ever had when we stopped the people smugglers' business trade, and I ask the Treasurer to withdraw.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer has the call, and I ask him to withdraw.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our policies are designed to stop—

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Treasurer, I have asked you to withdraw.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Treasurer.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our policies are designed to stop this evil trade and to stop the deaths at sea, but we need a full suite of policies such as the full suite that was recommended to us by the Houston inquiry. Part and parcel of that was the arrangement we came to with Malaysia, and they would not come to the party in this parliament. That has been a very substantial problem. So I made that statement before because they are culpable—very culpable—in terms of the current arrival rate.

The government will do everything within its power to stem the boats—everything we can possibly do—but the one thing it will not do is tell lies to the Australian people, like the Leader of the Opposition about somehow turning boats back to Indonesia. He cannot do that, and he knows it.

Ms Anna Burke (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer knows he cannot use that word. The Treasurer will withdraw the use of the word 'lies'.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw. The policy that the Leader of the Opposition says he has is not one that is capable of being implemented, and he knows it. So it is a fiction that he puts before the Australian people. This government will do everything in our power to stem the flow of people coming through the people smugglers, including a suite of new policies that we are putting in place to do precisely that, and, when we bring them forward, we would like to have some support from the opposition.